Looking for answers to life's questions

It’s been a whole month for goodness sake! I have not had the great news I wanted to pass on so I said nothing. I’m still waiting .

The eye surgery was technically quite straight forward and easy. Though I didn’t feel anything once the eyelid had been numbed, the surgeon scrubbed the eyelid…hard. After the second week, the sutures came out. Easy. I drove myself home so my daughter didn’t need to take another day off work. More antibiotic was required as soon as I got home and for that entire 2 weeks, no driving allowed. The antibiotic would leak into my eye and while it caused no discomfort, it did blur my vision.

Before the surgery. Where we started from.

The thing now is there are still spots of blur and I’m not sure why. So when I took my sister to the same eye clinic to get her cataracts checked out, the nice young man at the desk overheard our conversation and insisted I let the charge nurse know about it. She called when time permitted and another appointment has been set. I’m trying not to be concerned. Maybe more healing time will be necessary given my age. There was almost no discomfort. I cut the pain pills they gave me in half and only took two so I could sleep through without rubbing my eyes in my sleep. I tend to rub way too much. So the verdict is still out on this endeavor.

Right after before bruising sets in

Looks worse than it was.

They look more equally baggy but no longer in my field of vision

I watched more television in those first two weeks than I have in the entire year. I found some BBC mysteries on my son’s Netflix and did a marathon listen while trying to enlarge blog print so I could try to catch up. I don’t think it’s ever going to happen. The background noise was pleasant and when vision permitted, I did a bit of hand embroidery and worked on a few projects that have due dates. A few squares for the October meeting of our quilt group and a first birthday gift for a friend’s son. The work outside had come to a grinding halt. Tech Support is back home after the month away for free lance work and now we will get busy again.

Added to a dozen more for a raffle quilt this Christmas

Our fall colors for Safe House quilt. Each of us make 2 squares.

I also got the final verdict on my car last Tuesday. My engine went to death row. Parts broke off and sent metal into the engine. It’s final days are over and a new one will have to be put in its place. That sentence was so harsh, my poor son had to take me to lunch so I wouldn’t sob loudly in public. By the time I’d finished, I was ready to face music and pay the piper. I really thought my heart would stop after getting this news. I know it missed several beats.

We have autumn nights and summer days along with an invasion of thousands of stink bugs that are flying everywhere and come out when it gets a little bit warm. Makes it hard to do anything outside, especially paint. They seem to be worse on this street though everyone has some degree of infestation. It feels like a Hitchcock movie around here right now and only safe to go out after dark.

Any question as to why nothing is getting done outdoors? So this doesn’t stick in your mind, here’s the quilt I made for my friends little boy.

Misty Lane

Embroidered label

Dan Drive

Light amount of quilting along the roads and some details. Softness is primary to this cheater quilt.

Robbie Road. Can you see it?

Is there anything you are waiting for a final verdict on? Something you know for sure or is life still filled with so much mystery?

Comments on: "In Search of a Verdict" (57)

Hi Marlene, the play blanket looks great. Robbie will love pushing cars along the roads. I hope the vision issue gets resolved. Scary to have that happen. As to the stink bugs, we have them as well. Hopefully it gets really cold this winter, and they head south!
See you tomorrow!

I’m so sorry your vision is still blurred and I think it’s a good idea to have it checked on again. No stink bugs here thank goodness, but it’s cold right now! Might warm up a bit later this week. Big hugs my friend.

Thanks Jackie. I’m so ready for cold. The new engine is going to be $5500. It’s just always something. My credit card is starting to smoke after this year. First the deck, now the car. I’m ready for a lottery win. Hugs right back at you.

Dear Marlene – the look of the eyes is way better isn’t it – I am sure the vision itself will soon catch up and settle down. Sometimes the brain takes a while to adjust when drastic changes occur. So sorry to hear about the car! My old one did something similar and I had to cut my losses and get rid of it. I lived car less for almost two years relying on the goodness of family when required. I got so used to it – that was when I was doing an enormous amount of painting because I couldn’t go anywhere else. Eventually my retirement savings came due and I bought a newer car. Anything happens to this one I’m stuffed!! 🙂

I don’t know what stink bugs are – they sound pretty awful though! I am waiting hopefully to hear that my neighbours flat has sold. I so hope he will have a successful sale very soon!!

I’m sending you the best of wishes for miraculous interventions in eyesight, cars and bugs! Miracles happen everyday – expect one!!xoxo

A post just chock a block full of news. The eye is definitely looking better, but hopefully will be feeling much better with each passing day. The expression in my house is that ‘everything takes longer than it takes.’ It only makes sense after you say a thousand times.
And the quilt work looks marvelous. What a talent. I’ve always had a hope that one day I can join a “B.”
One day.
After all the books.
😉

I quilt because I’m no good at writing. I’m good at reading though. 🙂 Quilting gives me a way to make physical friends and necessary because I’ve moved so often that I know no one here but my 2 kids and my sister. I have to reach out and quilters are the most welcoming of people I have ever found. They don’t care that I quilt as badly as I write. They just care that I’m kind enough to share what I make. That’s all that matters. They are good teachers too. 🙂 Writers tend to isolate a lot and I do that more than I want anyway. If you ever need friends. Start quilting.

I see nothing bad in your quilt – it’s gorgeous, and just the thing for a small boy. I agree about the camaraderie of quilters. There’s nothing quite like sitting round a table sewing and nattering with a group of like-minded folk.

I’m sorry your eyes are still proving troublesome, and hope it gets sorted with your next appointment.

Does your computer have a touch screen? Watching a child recently, I learned that if I put two fingers together on the screen, and then spread them apart, everything was magically enlarged. I don’t know how I had this laptop for two years without finding that out!

Don’t worry about your outside jobs – I’ve stopped caring about weeds and now appreciate them as lucky gifts when they flower!
Hugs,
ViV

No touch screen on this laptop but I use control + to make the letters bigger. It works for most things. The sewing is a little harder but have been working on a braille method. 😉 The only outside job that I’m concerned about is the painting of the house and the homeowners association (aka Park owners) have given me notice that it must be done. Soon. I’ve hired some help for the front that is too high for me. I’ll eventually get the rest as soon as the bugs are gone. The infestation is over the top. They can have the weeds. 🙂 Hugs to you as well.

Wow, That is one great play blanket! I know what it’s like to go wait for a final verdict and I will keep my fingers crossed for a verdict to come soon. And that it will be a good one. Very sorry about the car. Those stink bugs look annoying! Don’t let them get you too far down. At least you have made some wonderfull things lately.

The list of things to make goes on and on. As soon as the vision cleared a tiny bit, I started working again. That’s why I’m concerned about it now. I need to see to read and create. We have the worst invasion is Oregon’s history. We need cold to send them into hibernation. The car is being repaired at a hefty sum. Still less expensive than another car.I miss my tank of a car. It’s a working truck. Hauls a lot of stuff.

Thanks for asking Maja. Things are good and I’m so busy with too many things to find the brain power to write about them. Still questions with regards to the vision. Nothing physically wrong with the eye, it just doesn’t want to see well. I’ll have to hope for writing time tomorrow. Today is my day with my daughter. Once a week she indulges her old mother and comes to visit and brings laundry. We will start our Halloween decorating and make a run at the fabric store to see what she can find for a costume. I need a few small pieces for a couple quilt squares that will go into a friendship quilt for someone that is moving away. I’m delighted you are still enjoying your new job. As you get more comfortable, it will only get better. 🙂

Thanks for reading and the hugs. They are always welcome and needed. It’s funny how a surgeon who has never had a knife used on him, can lean on an eye like it’s a rock for support and not expect a problem. They are smart and young but have not developed empathy for their patients.
My son was vacuuming up stink bugs by the dozens yesterday so we could get out the door. The handyman I talked to that lives here and works all over the neighborhood said everyone had them but they were the thickest on this street. Even the Oregon dept of Agriculture is looking into the intensity of this years swarm. The warm weather is not helping.

Oh those things are a menace. I tried to paste a photo of a stink bug onto Pauline’s comment in response, but I cannot figure out how to add photos. I’ve seen it done on other blogs, but just can’t make it happen. They are a menace at my stepfather’s place in north Idaho. I’ll always associate stink bugs with my mother’s never-ending battle with them and her sneer of satisfaction when one after another were popped into the woodstove. She hated them with a passion and could smell them from twenty feet away before anyone else noticed, ha ha.

I think the “after” photo looks great. I mean, great! I wish the vision was satisfactory though. I’m glad you called the office back and will have them do some follow up. I need to come for a visit and get an update on the verdict in person.

Not giving it up. It in for a new heart, I mean engine. Cheaper than buying even a cheap car. So it shall be resurrected and will have a new 70,000 mile warranty. It will take at least another week to have transportation again.

TS is using a shop vac and it’s so full he will need help to empty it. And they are still covering every house on this side of the street. You can’t get in or out of the door. Even the Oregon Dept of Agriculture is stunned by the swarming amount this year.

Hi Marlene! I know that you are busy! However, I nominated you for the Infinity Dream Award anyway. I enjoy following your life adventures and very much appreciate your friendship. For details, check at http://incahootswithmuddyboots.com . Your friend, Sabine

Thanks so much. It’s a cheater quilt but my last husband’s grandson wore his out and when he was 10 asked me to make him another. So I did. I keep several of those panels around just in case. 😉 I hope the blurriness clears up soon too.

Thank you and yes it does. I finished another small project yesterday and a good start on another. Then only one more to go and I can start on my own quilts. Gardening is out the question right now. I’ve tried peppermint oil and soap but there are so many bugs and it doesn’t stop them. They are still all around the doors and windows. My son was using a shop vac and filled it up.

Marlene, I hope you get good news on your eyes very soon. On another note, I love the quilt you made for Misty. It’s perfect and so personal. What a gift for her to treasure! Glad your eyes were good for getting that present put together!

Oh my goodness, when it rains it pours for us. Your stink bug infestation is the worst I’ve ever seen. As much as I love the outdoors I think I would hide inside until their season was over. I battled them all winter here. Seems they got in the house and bred while the place was vacant. They are finally gone and the peppermint oil has done wonders. I don’t know if the peppermint oil would be able to shoo your population away, but maybe if you had some on or near your body it would keep them off of you.

I have my fingers crossed you get good new on your next appointment. I can’t believe you can still quilt with your vision problems. I adore the quilt you made for the little one!

Yes, we are waiting for a couple of things here. My son has officially graduated with an associates degree as electrical engineer and now is struggling to find a job. Too many people for the few positions available. And of course there is my chair as you know.

These bugs think the peppermint oil is their perfume. The soap in the water helps knock them down but they are the most hardy bug I’ve ever seen. Bought a huge jar of peppermint oil for them. Glad you liked the quilt. I have 3 more panels here that I bought more than 10 years ago. Stocking up is not a bad idea. I’m giving a gift at the old prices. I’ve learned to quilt by braille. I have so far managed not to get my fingers under the needle. 🙂
Congrats to your son. That is a big accomplishment. I’ll keep a positive frame of mind for his job search. And of course your chair. There really needs to be something done about that kind of situation.

Thank you for the good wishes. I’m hoping so too. The road quilt is a panel. I think I bought 4 of them many years ago and I’m sure they still make some version of it. I just stitched along the roads and around a few of the main sections for just soft quilting. Then used my machine to add the road names. A personal touch. Thanks for stopping by.

Marlene, first I am sending healing thoughts and hope all is well with your eye.. It does look much improved visually, I hope your blurriness soon rights itself ,,
The Quilt is AMAZING that you made, its a treasure to always be kept and passed down..

What are ‘Stink’ Bugs?? Never mind I just looked them up, 🙂 and have learnt something new.. 🙂 today xxx
Sending well wishes Marlene.. love and Hugs
Sue xx

Thanks Sue. I have an appointment tomorrow. Hoping the eye is just bruised and swollen or something that will heal with more time. The visual of the eye lid is great and that has healed nicely. The little quilt is a cheater quilt and all I had to do was sandwich it and follow the lines on the roads etc for a soft quilt effect. The little guy’s daddy loved it. :)) I’m sure little guy will love it too. It’s a bright colorful fabric and I chose bright orange to bind it. Babies like bright colors. Thursday’s swarm of bugs was right out of a horror movie. It’s raining today and cooler so we will have fewer bugs out. There are no known predators. They haven’t met me yet. 🙂 Thanks for the good wishes. Much appreciated. Hugs to you as well.

It looks like you’re recovering well. Too bad about the car. But it’s just a car and can be replaced. Eyes can’t be replaced. Take good care of yourself. Just think, if you can’t see the world couldn’t enjoy your beautiful quilts. Hugs.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I am glad you liked my post about the autumn. I wish you luck at your appointment tomorrow – and I am glad you are pleased with the overall result. I can sympathise with the stink bugs – here in Yorkshire we have tiny midges which are a menace – they have usually gone by now for the winter but the lovely weather has given them a last burst of energy! They bite ferociously even though they are tiny – and make weeding the garden really difficult! 😉

People think I’m crazy because I love winter. I can sew, read and write guilt free and the bugs are gone. :)) This year has been a record breaker for so many things. The more heat we have, the worse the bugs. I love autumn and spring. Summer, give it to someone else. I’ll be back. Have a good week.

Oh Marlene, I go away for a few weeks and look what happens…yikes!!! I’m so sorry, you’ve been through a really rough time, and yet still you took the time to visit me, you sweet, lovely lady you. I do hope that your eyesight is improving (cataract surgery I’m guessing?) but glad to hear that the BBC kept you amused in the meantime…love those mysteries, I do confess 🙂 And your quilts are so beautiful, especially the one you made for your friend’s little boy, it is just darling. As for those stink bugs though, they sound horrid, let’s hope they disappear as it grows cooler, but for your car, oh that is not good. I do hope you can replace it as soon as. Sending lots of hugs your way for better days ahead 🙂 xoxo

Thank you so much Sherri. I always like to come visit you. It was an eyelid lift but the surgeon leaned a little hard on my eye and scrubbed hard. Caused some blurring of my vision for a few weeks. It will apparently settle down soon. I’m getting a new engine in the car. Love my beast of a shopping cart/truck. A new engine is so much less money than another car. There will be a good warranty with the engine so I can’t go wrong. I hate being without a vehicle though. I’ve been praying for cold weather. I need to finish painting the house but won’t go out with those bugs. But those BBC mysteries were my favorite part of recovery. I loved the series “Rosemary and Thyme” and “Midsomer Murders”. Days ahead all all golden. 🙂 Hugs to you as well. Happy writing.

Yikes…sounds nasty. I do hope it settles down very soon. And I’m so glad you can get another engine for your truck…I know what you mean being without a vehicle. And yes, let’s pray for that cold weather. It’s cooling off here at last, but a strange kind of humidity still hangs around. Still, autumn colours ablaze 🙂 Ahh…yes, those are great shows, so glad you enjoyed them! Golden days ahead indeed…thanks so much Marlene and I hope you have a wonderful weekend 🙂 xo

Everything is working out exactly as it should. Transportation was a question that I was vacillating on, and now have the answer. Funny how that happens. Eye will be taking more time than expected but looks like they uncovered something else that needed to be dealt with so even there, it’s all good. Just need hot compresses each night for awhile. Glad I investigated though. Now I can almost start catching up on my reading. . 🙂 Thank you for your healing thoughts. Much appreciated and it helps.

Hi Marlene. We have been on a rather long trip and I am just now catching up on posts. Glad to know your eye is somewhat better! Despite that you still managed to succeed on such a beautiful quilt. Sink bugs! Ick!!! That is awful. Hopefully they are gone now. I don’t think I would have stepped out of my front door with those creatures buzzing around. Ha ha.

They have been bad enough that there were days we did not step outside. I had neighbors sending notes that they were prisoners in their own homes. They are fewer in number till the heat comes again. I have never been so happy to see rain in my life and the cold will be welcome. Looking forward to hearing about your trip. They eye is getting better with each day. Thanks for stopping by. Catch-up is hard but fun. Hugs.

Wow, look at that black eye! You look like a rowdy! ha! Tough to be out of commission for any length of time, so I feel for you. But look at it this way, you’ve been working so so hard outside, it’s probably the only way you’d actually slow down and Rx. Too bad about the stinkbug too….grouse, we don’t have them here but I can see why you’d wait for dark to venture out, gah!
Sounds like you’re getting all the crappy stuff out of the way all at once! Oh dear, rotten timing on the car. I swear, cars enter my vortex and immediately start to have troubles. Sorry to hear yours will be an expensive repair. I rode in an electric car in California. Alys’s hubby has one. I think there is far less that can break down in them. He just plugs it in at night. plus you get preferential parking. You’d be the talk of the neighbourhood!
It’s been just beautiful here this week until today. It’s terrible windy, the temps dropped 10 degrees and it’s raining….must be a weekend, HA! I feel for the poor folks that work all week because those are always the nicest days. Oh well, works for us retired type. Hope your lucky turnaround settles in for a long stay Marlenie-bean, you’re due! xox B/K

Ha Ha. I am a rowdy. My kid caught me rockin out to some tunes at Costco today.:) People were starting to stare. 🙂 I have to dance. The eye is healed quite nicely so I no longer have a shiner. The car broke, the TV broke and the refrigerator broke all in a two week period. Murphy’s law alive and well. It was less expensive to have my truck repaired than to buy another car. It’s only 10 years old and in good shape otherwise. I’ll keep it until my son takes it over. It’s a working truck so we always need it for something. Glad you had a great time. Got a really neat postcard in the mail today. My son went nuts over the steam train. My daughter thought it was cool too. We didn’t check the mail yesterday because it was POURING and the wind was blowing. Just lovely. The bugs aren’t gone yet but seem to be fewer in number as it cools down. I love cold weather. But not as cold as yours. ;( I have never ridden in an electric car but would like too. I hope it catches on big. Hope you had a great visit and looking forward to hearing about it. Big huge HUGS to you both. 🙂

Gah! Murphy-Smurfy, it’s always three isn’t it? Da-hang Wonderfrau, the fridge too? Hey! I got the postcard at Roaring Camp, I’m glad it arrived. Alys and I went to ride their train up to Bear Mountain, thru the redwoods. Oh it smelt delicious up there. Our weather’s been fickled. This morning I left for work in cool rain and left work to warm sunshine 5 hours later. The wind was crazy two nights ago. Very odd for fall. Off I go to try and finally post something..later tater x K

Gosh, Marlene, you have had a streak of misfortune. Darn it with cars. They cost so much to repair and can be difficult to get by without. When I was in college my car would regularly go on the fritz. Getting by with buses and the occasional ride was stressful. How I wish we had a decent subway system here like they do in Europe. It was so easy to get around there.

Your eye does look much better. I hope the vision follows shortly. It’s scary to have blurred vision, I”m sure. I can remember a few conjunctivitis infections over the years and how miserable I would feel.

I love your quilt updates. You have the finest stitches and work so quickly, too.

Robbie’s little gift is delightful. That looks like something my boys would have enjoyed at that age. They loved moving trains along paths. My oldest son could do so for hours.

It’s nice to finally get by here and catch up. How is the eye doing today? xox

Thanks for the vote of confidence on the quilting. It’s all done on the machine. Quickly, more or less. I’ve never learned to hand quilt and not sure that’s the direction I want to go. Robbie didn’t care and neither did his dad. He fell in love with the quilt. Mom said Robbie knew just what to do with it.
As for misfortune, It’s perspective. The car is in good enough shape to fix and the warranty will carry me through my driving years and then some. My son will use the truck and so will my daughter when my driving days are over. I want them to be comfortable chauffeurs. :)) The TV I would have done without but the kid needs it so he popped the bucks for a new one, and the refrigerator was on the list down the road to replace. Turns out it was 14 years old and abused. The stove will be next and the microwave above it. They are as clean as I could get them but I swear she boiled plastic on that stove. Those things are part of owning. I’m grateful my credit is good. :)) I’m keeping it that way for whatever comes next but you know how it is. Always in threes. I’m done. Put my son’s washer in last week and gave away the one that was here. I liked it but it only did small loads, roughly. I need a gentle cycle. He said the washer was his rent. 🙂 The old dryer still works well. The blurry vision, now that’s something that concerns me still. Dr. said nothing pathological is going on and I’m delighted. so we shall see. I still have to get new glasses but will wait a few more weeks. Good to see you again. I’ll be back more now too that the rain is moving in. Yay!!!